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Lindsey Graham: John Brennan Has His Vote For CIA Director Because Of Rand Paul Filibuster

Lindsey Graham: John Brennan Has His Vote For CIA Director Because Of Rand Paul Filibuster

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday he would vote for CIA director nominee John Brennan because Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) filibustered his appointment over questions about the administration's drone program.

"I was going to vote against him until the filibuster, so he picked up one vote," Graham said, laughing to reporters in the Capitol.

"I thought Brennan was arrogant, a bit shifty," he said, but added that he was going to vote for Brennan because the vote had become a "referendum on the drone program."

"Where were all these people during the Bush administration? I never remember anybody accusing President [George W.] Bush of 'We're going to kill someone in a cafe,'" Graham said. (Paul, of course, was not in office during the Bush administration.)

Graham's reversal is notable since he had previously threatened to delay the nomination over the administration's account of the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi. On Thursday, Graham said he had gotten what he wanted.

Graham qualified that he had "no problem" with Paul trying to get answers on whether the president has the authority to kill an American citizen inside the United States.

Rand Paul's Filibuster Belittled By John McCain As 'Simply False'

WASHINGTON -- One of the Senate's leading hawks, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), took to the Senate floor Thursday to fire back at Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), saying the Kentuckian's rant against extrajudicial drone killings was "simply false."

Quoting extensively from a Wall Street Journal editorial that mocked Paul, McCain also argued that Paul had belittled the growing use of drones to kill terrorism suspects by invoking the name of Jane Fonda and suggesting a drone could have killed her when she was a Vietnam War protester.

Paul took to the floor Wednesday for nearly 13 hours, hoping to pressure the White House to declare whether or not it might use a drone to strike an American citizen in the United States.

McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, was not impressed.

"I watched some of that, quote, debate, unquote, yesterday," McCain said. "I saw colleagues who know better come to the floor and voice some of this same concern, which is totally unfounded.

"I must say that the use of Jane Fonda's name does evoke certain memories with me, and I must say that she is not my favorite American. But I also believe that, as odious as it was, Ms. Fonda acted within her constitutional rights, and to somehow say that someone who disagrees with American policy -- and even may demonstrate against it -- is somehow a member of an organization which makes that individual an enemy combatant is simply false," McCain said, hitting his lectern for emphasis. "It is simply false."

McCain said it was "ridiculous" and "a stretch of the imagination" to "allege or infer that the President of the United States is going to kill somebody like Jane Fonda, or somebody who disagrees with the policies."

The Wall Street Journal editorial he quoted was even more scathing, declaring, "Give Rand Paul credit for theatrical timing, as a snow storm descended on Washington. The filibuster filled the attention void on Twitter and cable TV. If only his reasoning matched the showmanship."

The editorial also complained that Paul should not be shocked that the United States might kill a citizen by drone strike within its own borders, arguing that the Obama administration is well within its rights to kill enemies of the country, wherever they may be.

Paul has vigorously opposed the growing use of drones by the administration, saying the strikes violate due process guaranteed under the Constitution and permit the president to act as judge, jury and executioner.

One of the biggest differences between Republicans and Democrats is Republicans are willing to let "their" guy know when something was amiss. Take Bush's approval rating and the switch from a Republican controlled house to a Democrat controlled house in 2006. That was a clear message. So, please don't confuse us Republicans with the go along Democrats. We pay attention, even though the liberal media says different. And, Republicans are much, much more tolerent than liberals. Just, listen to Jay Carey.

Senate Confirms John Brennan as CIA Director

Senator Rand Paul's nearly 13 hour filibuster may have started a conversation about U.S. drone policy, but it didn't stop John Brennan from becoming CIA director.

Senators voted to 63 - 34 to elevate President Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser at the White House to lead the Central Intelligence Agency after Paul, R-Ky., dropped his opposition to a vote Thursday afternoon.

Paul had mounted the filibuster because he wanted assurances that the government would not target a non-combatant American citizen in the U.S. under the secret legal justification it uses to kill suspected terrorists overseas with armed drone strikes.

Those assurances came from Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday in the form of a one line letter.

"It has come to my attention that you have now asked an additional question: 'Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?'" wrote Holder. "The answer to that question is no."

After that letter was produced, Paul voted with 85 other senators to end debate. Paul later opposed Brennan's nomination. But his filibuster did have an effect. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had appeared ready to allow Brennan's nomination to proceed on Wednesday, was among 16 Republicans who opposed cutting off debate on Thursday. McConnell also opposed Brennan's nomination.

Paul appeared for the first time on the Senate floor since he concluded his marathon filibuster of John Brennan that went from Wednesay into Thursday morning, said he was "very pleased" to get a response to his questions from Holder and he believes the "entire battle was worthwhile."

"It's taken awhile but we got an explicit answer," Paul said this afternoon. "I'm pleased what we did and to me I think the entire battle was worthwhile."

Paul read Holder's letter on the floor of the Senate and said his filibuster was successful not only because it got an answer to a specific question but it also led to a discussion over the use of drones in the nation.

"I consider it to be our duty to stand up and fight for something that we all believe in and that's the protections that the bill of rights are yours. When you are accused of something you get your day in court," Paul said. "So I am very pleased to have gotten his response back from the Attorney General of the United States."

Paul said he hopes Americans will "see this battle that we've had in the last 24 hours as something that is good for the country."

One of the biggest differences between Republicans and Democrats is Republicans are willing to let "their" guy know when something was amiss. Take Bush's approval rating and the switch from a Republican controlled house to a Democrat controlled house in 2006. That was a clear message. So, please don't confuse us Republicans with the go along Democrats. We pay attention, even though the liberal media says different. And, Republicans are much, much more tolerent than liberals. Just, listen to Jay Carey.

Of course we do. Don't you read what you post? Oh, that's right, you don't. Two major repub senators just chastised Ron Paul. Where were the liberal lemming dems who were so against drone attacks when Bush ordered them? Why did they go along with this appointment? Only one dem stood up and helped Paul out in his filibuster.

Quoting sweet-a-kins:

No they dont

Quoting susan115:

One of the biggest differences between Republicans and Democrats is Republicans are willing to let "their" guy know when something was amiss. Take Bush's approval rating and the switch from a Republican controlled house to a Democrat controlled house in 2006. That was a clear message. So, please don't confuse us Republicans with the go along Democrats. We pay attention, even though the liberal media says different. And, Republicans are much, much more tolerent than liberals. Just, listen to Jay Carey.

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